Under the Mistletoe
by Midnight Minute
Summary: When Eld presents the squad with a festive Mistletoe, Levi is at once opposed to the idea. He was certain that such a thing would only cause Petra untold trouble, considering she was the lone resident female on the squad. After a slight misunderstanding, the squad is at it again, and Levi finds himself irritated, because apparently, they were all set on kissing him specifically.
1. Chapter 1

Hello Readers!

So I've been very, very busy writing and editing my more time consuming piece Homeward Bound, but I decided to take a bit of a breather and write a new Petra/Levi holiday piece! It's been I think a few _years_ since I've done the holiday gig, but admittedly they are a complete joy for me to write, and it was nice getting to step back from such a serious, exhaustive plot and write somthing more simple and cute that didn't involve so much detail and character development. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but something more fun and fluffy has been long overdue for me. This piece was more of a recent idea of mine, and certainly more for laughs and just an overall good time. Heads up, this is a two shot (both pieces are already written) and I'll plan to post the other half of this story on New Year's Day.

In the mean time, hope yall enjoy the read!

...

* * *

...

"Mistletoe?"

"Yeah," Eld responded to Oluo's question with a sort of grin, presenting a small green plant, complete with a delicate velvet bow. He looked around the table and smiled brightly, "It could be fun!"

"No." The Captain said flatly from his end of the table, bringing a steaming coffee mug to his lips and glaring at the blonde irritably, not sure what Eld was trying to pull but knowing full well it was a bad idea. It was his firm opinion that mistletoe had absolutely_ no _place on a squad of straight men, because if such a thing were allowed, his squad would undoubtedly start harassing a certain ginger for however long the godforsaken plant was left hanging, and Levi couldn't knowingly permit such a thing and cause Petra so much unwarranted trouble.

"Oh come on, Captain. You're not giving us any time off for the holiday this year, so the least you could do is let us have some fun with this. What's the harm? It's a holiday tradition!"

"What is?" Petra walked into the room curiously, only having caught the last bit of conversation and uncertain what was being discussed. She took her place at the table, giving a nod and a few good mornings, and the conversation continued.

"Mistletoe." Gunther responded flatly with a nod toward Eld, and at his words, Petra looked between Gunther, then Eld, then Levi, because she wasn't certain what they were in reference towards.

"Mistletoe?" she repeated with a wrinkle of her nose, "Never heard of it. You said it's a tradition? For Christmas? Like…a _game_ or something?"

Eld chuckled at her question, then shrugged in thought because he supposed to some extent she wasn't wrong, "Well…kind of. I guess. You've never heard of mistletoe, Petra? Really?"

The ginger gave a shake of her head and looked around the table with a shrug, "Don't think so. But I'm game to learn. How's it played? Are there cards or something? What are the rules?"

At her questions that more than confirmed she truly had_ no _idea of the concept of mistletoe, Levi groaned and rolled his eyes, and there was another laugh from Eld. Before the blonde could correct her and explain the concept of mistletoe, Oluo stood up from the table, grabbing the festive plant from Eld as he walked over toward Petra while grinning devilishly, "Well Petra, it's really a game that you learn just by playing it. You see, if I have the mistletoe and I hang it above you and-"

"Sit the fuck down, Oluo." Came the Captain's sharp, irritated command of outright warning, his expression suddenly firm and confirming that he was issuing an order that would be respected. At once, Oluo gave a dejected sigh, holding up his hands in surrender and walking back towards his seat without another word.

As Petra looked around the room in obvious concern and curiosity, her previous questions still unanswered, Levi's gaze settled onto Eld and he pressed his lips together in irritation, "See? That is _exactly_ why I don't want that trash around here. No mistletoe."

"But what_ is_ it Captain?" Petra pressed with a sudden persistence, and Levi looked toward her and gave a flat sigh as he tried to explain.

"It's stupid. That plant Eld has is called mistletoe, and traditionally speaking, you hang it up and if two people are underneath it at the same time, they're supposed to kiss. That's all. Like I said, stupid."

There was a long silence that fell over the room as Petra's eyes narrowed critically in thought, Oluo mumbling that the Captain was a complete kill joy, and eventually the girl looked back toward the Captain in question.

"So if you and another person are under the mistletoe plant, they kiss…and I'm assuming that whoever is kissed the most…loses?"

Levi blinked at her apparent interpretation of his words, and Eld gave a snort and interjected before Levi could correct her, "Yes, Petra. _Yes._ Whoever is kissed the most before Christmas day is the Mistletoe Game's official loser. That's _definitely_ how we played it when I was a kid."

"Oh, so that's it? That doesn't seem so bad. What's the big deal, Captain? Granted I'm not kissing anyone on the lips, but I could spare a kiss or two on the cheek if it's for the holiday. Besides, we all know that we have to work nonstop over these next few days, and this might be a way we could still have a bit of fun regardless. I mean...I'm certainly game for it."

Eld gave a smile and looked across the table toward her fondly, "That's the spirit, Petra!"

She gave an equally excited smile in return, missing the Captain's perturbed glare of sudden irritation, and she looked around the room thoughtfully, "I guess we should hang it in a spot that everyone has equal access to – that way it's fair and doesn't favor any one person with some advantage. How about…" Petra looked around the room all the more, and her expression brightened with sudden certainty as she pointed with gustro, "Right there, right above the entry way to the kitchen? We all pass it like twelve times a day; it's not by anyone's bedrooms or an awkward spot like the bathroom. It's perfect!"

Eld looked at the open doorframe and nodded in hearty agreement, "Okay, yeah. You know, I'm actually really liking the sound of this. We'll hang it up there, and the punishment will be that whoever is caught underneath the mistletoe is liable to be kissed – only on the cheek – by whoever caught them. We'll keep track of whoever gets caught the most, and they will be declared the official _loser_ of the game. I'll take the official count on Christmas morning and that will conclude our game! I love it; it's so festive and yet progressive! Just like the days of yore."

The blonde looked around the table, seeing various smirks and accepting shrugs from his comrades, then looked toward Levi with a confident grin, "Well, Captain? Seems like we're all in agreement. You really going to spoil it for us by playing the Commanding Officer card?"

Levi exhaled through his nose with a huff, noting that his squad seemed more than content with their suddenly made up game, contrived of Petra's sheer _misunderstanding_ of the holiday tradition. He supposed that if their strange game was built around a mechanic that wouldn't single out any one particular person or make anyone uncomfortable, and if that's _really_ what his squad wanted, then he would turn a blind eye and allow them to have at it.

After all, what was the harm?

It was just a dumb game, and certainly no better or worse than the other idiotic things his squad and come up with in attempts to pass time.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts and eventually responded, "If that's how you all want to spend the next few days, spying on each other and acting like complete _morons_, then be my guest. But, I'll say it now: any squabbles or any drama or petty fights – let the record show I told you all it was a bad idea, so don't come crying to me because I won't hear a word of it. You're all on your own for this."

The Captain paused in thought and his expression soured, "And on that note, I don't want any of your disgusting mouths near my face so-"

"So I guess we'd better not catch you under the mistletoe then, Captain." Petra finished his sentence with a devilish smirk, and Levi's gaze fell on her with an irritated, but still surprised scowl. She merely grinned at him all the more and gave a laugh at his conflicted expression, "It's only for a few days, and you're part of this squad too. It'll be more fun if you play with us, and what's more, if you feel that strongly about it, then just don't make frequent trips in and out of the kitchen and you'll be fine."

"Uh-oh," Oluo gave an amicable laugh as he looked between Petra and Levi with a prominent, teasing smirk, "Sounds like someone's got their heart set on kissing the Captain, hey Petra?"

Petra didn't seem to be offended by his words and merely gave an innocent shrug, "So what if I am? Captain is so good at everything, and maybe some part of me might enjoy watching him be taken off guard and getting kissed by someone, perhaps even _losing _the game if it happens enough. I don't think I've seen Levi lose at _anything_ before, and what's more, if it's particularly early in the morning, maybe that person wouldn't have even brushed their teeth yet. Gotta admit, I'm curious to see what would happen on that front."

Hearing Petra's words, Levi visibly blanched, the color leaving his face as he thought of someone approaching him in such an unkempt, disgusting state, and all at once the squad was laughing at his obviously horrified expression. Any remaining apprehension they each felt regarding the potential awkwardness of kissing each other, on the cheek or otherwise, was instantly gone as the squad collectively thought about putting their oh so touchy Captain at such odds, and they each watched Levi with increasingly amused stares that spoke of their sudden resolve and anticipation.

Watching this, the strange, purposed gazes his squad now watched him with, Levi got the distinct impression that it was no longer _Petra_ he needed to be concerned about. After her simple confession, he had become the subject of the squad's collective interest, and the Ackerman felt admittedly intimidated under the heavy, determined gazes of his subordinates.

"Okay, yeah," Oluo agreed with sudden gusto, looking at his other squad mates and nodding toward the Captain with a grin, "After seeing that display, now_ I_ want to kiss him."

"If you so much as stand up from the table, I'll murder you." Levi threatened in warning, and regardless the malice of his words and the readied coil in his posture, the squad merely laughed all the more, clearly not intimidated so much as amused by the Captain's pristinely standoffish mannerisms.

"Alright alright, everyone just keep their lips to themselves because I haven't even hung the mistletoe yet." Eld stood up and moved away from the table, grabbing his chair and the plant in question before stationing himself near the open framework of the kitchen's doorway; speaking as he worked to hang it, "Hey Petra, will you go ahead and get me some tape? Maybe a thumb tack or something? I think there's something we can use in that utility drawer, just anything that will keep the mistletoe hung up here for the next three days."

Petra gave a nod and disappeared into the kitchen, digging through the drawer in question and appearing near Eld a few moments later, "I have a thumb tack here, will that work you think?"

Eld looked down at her from where he was standing on the chair, squinting at the golden object and then giving an accepting nod, "Yeah, it should, as long as you don't put it through the leaves or anything. Would you come up here and put it in? Try to get the bow if you will, so the plant doesn't dry out and fall down later."

The ginger merely gave a nod, grabbing the back of the chair and carefully standing up on the small space, careful with her footing because Eld was a grown man, and the chair was only so big when shared between two people.

She pressed the metal object into the wooden doorframe, pinning it up by the velvety red bow and giving a satisfied nod when the plant felt secure and stabilized against the wooden post, "And there we go, I think that should hold up okay." She looked over her shoulder toward the table for her peer's approval, "Guys, does that look good? When do you think we should start?"

From her side, there was a slight sigh, "Oh, I'd say right now's good."

There were some instant chuckles and at that, Eld leaned toward Petra and lightly pecked her cheek, and the girl's mouth fell open as she whipped her head toward Eld in shock. Before she could so much as process what had happened, Eld gave a laugh and scurried off the chair before Petra could attempt to retaliate.

At Eld's successful ploy, realising she had been successfully tricked, Petra gaped in alarm and slowly moved off the chair in wonder, putting a hand up to her cheek as the squad howled with laughter at her stupefied reaction.

"Ah Petra," Eld sighed fondly as he took a seat back at the table, obviously quite proud of himself, "You're such a good sport. Someone start the tally board, because I believe that's _one_ for a certain Petra Ral."

"You…you scoundrel!" she eventually chided him as she moved back toward the table, though was clearly amused and not upset by his actions, "Alright, fine. If that's how you want to start it, then so be it! Go ahead and _put_ me down for one, but let it be known the gloves are coming off because I'm a sore loser and I don't intend on losing to any of you. I feel my very reputation is at stake here."

From the end of the table, Levi scoffed at the display he had just witnessed, and could only roll his eyes at his squad's childish antics, "You're all idiots. I can't believe you're seriously going to waste three days running around like children, cavorting about and trying to _kiss _each other." He shook his head in disapproval and mumbled to himself balefully, "Disgusting. I hope you all get mono."

Eld merely smiled, undeterred, and looked around the table, raising his eyebrows in challenge as he exchanged glances with his squad mates, "Well on that note, let's get this show on the road! From now until Christmas morning, if you're caught under the mistletoe, you're liable to be kissed and ultimately lose the game. Three days everyone. May the best man-"

"Or woman!"

"Win."

...

* * *

...

It had been a hectic few days, to say the least.

Training aside, the squad had spent almost every waking moment engaged in their ridiculous new game, and each day their methods got more loud and more dramatic as they found new ways to exploit the competition.

Admittedly, Levi had thought that it would be something they did for a few hours; that they would tease each other and laugh about it for an afternoon and then just move on as they inevitably became bored of it. At its core, Levi simply couldn't see the _appeal _of their shenanigans, even now. It was such a childish thing and kissing someone on the cheek wasn't really all that special, even by his standards, so it stood to reason that they would eventually drop it and find something else to do with their time that was actually worthwhile.

Well apparently he had been _greatly _mistaken, because here they were, Christmas Eve, and his squad was still going strong with no intention of slowing down in the least. If anything, it had only escalated all the more because they were still having _that_ much fun with it.

Granted, he supposed his squad had always held a competitive spirit, and something simple like this with festive undertones was proving to be a perfect outlet for their pent up holiday energy, so perhaps he couldn't complain too much about it because Maria knew if it wasn't this, they would just find something else to do that would piss him off just the same. As irritating as it was, as loud as they had been and the times he had nearly been run over in the hallways as someone was dashing away after a successful encounter, Levi begrudgingly allowed them to have their fun because if he couldn't give them the holiday off, he figured this was the least he could do for them.

_Tolerate_ them.

Even if they were irritating the fucking shit out of him.

Yes. He supposed he _could_ endure it; it was only for one more day after all. Surely he could go for one day without snapping someone's neck, right?

He would…_try_.

When the game had first launched, they had each taken the approach of just avoiding the kitchen to ensure that they themselves would not be caught under the mistletoe, but it soon came to their collective attentions that if they were _all_ actively avoiding the mistletoe, it would mean that they wouldn't be able to catch someone _else _there, and by lunchtime that same day, the game had shifted entirely and the true game had _officially_ begun.

Within a matter of hours, it became a give and take of wit and betrayal, often requiring plans that involved deals with multiple squad mates as they baited and tested each other, because sure they might take a hit, but if they ganged up on each other, someone might get kissed once, someone else three times, and as the numbers began piling in, it made it all worth the risk of getting caught as that was the only way to get points on the board, and therefore_ worth_ the chance of being exploited.

By the end of the first night, there had been literal traps set up, personal effects that had been stolen as bait (Petra's hairbrush, Eld's 3DM harness, being fine examples) and left under the mistletoe for future use – at one point the following morning, the squad had collectively ganged up on Oluo, who was carried by force by Eld and Gunther toward the mistletoe, where a certain ginger was already waiting. The poor thrashing man had been kissed by all three of his squad members at once before they all ran away while laughing manically. For that particular happening, one of many in fact, Levi had actually been_ present_ in the room, and he had made a point to shoot them all a profoundly dirty glare, because the levels they would stoop to were shameful.

Unfortunately the squad had been so wrapped up in their fun that his glare had been lost to each and every one of them, and they continued their holiday rumpus completely unbothered and unaware of his scathing disapproval.

Perhaps the only one who hadn't changed his methods in the slightest was of course Levi himself, who hadn't so much as stepped foot in the kitchen since the plant had been hoisted and displayed above the kitchen doorway. He would enter the lobby and go about his day like normal, but as for the kitchen specifically, he gave it a rather wide berth because he did not want to be pulled into the line of fire if he could at all help it. Perhaps it _was_ a little inconvenient, having to run across the campus for water or dishes at each meal time, but considering the alternative was subjecting himself to the squad's escalating methods of scoring points for their twisted little game, Levi was quite certain he'd allow himself to starve to death before he ever stepped foot under the mistletoe willingly.

Besides, it was the_ principle _of the matter. While he would turn a blind eye and allow them to continue, in no way shape or form, would he actually participate, and he made a point to stay as intentionally uninvolved as possible. Though he had been approached more than once to help trap such and such an individual, he had always shut it down and confirmed bluntly the he wanted no part in their ridiculous game, and for the most part had been successfully left alone.

The only thing he _couldn't_ avoid was the squad's frequent score recap; an irritating spectacle that occurred during every mealtime as they reviewed the team's most recent standings. From his right, Eld suddenly stood up from the table, and Levi bit back a groan because this little presentation would now be the _sixth_ one he had been forced to endure, and he was more than ready for it all to come to an end.

The blonde wore a large grin and slowly unfolded a piece of paper, clearing his throat and speaking fondly with his best announcer's voice, "And good morning Squad Levi! It's Christmas Eve and I know why you're all gathered here - it's time to review the most recent scoreboard regarding our current standings for our first annual Mistletoe Games!"

There were some cheers and claps, and Levi gave a sedating exhale.

"Without further ado, starting in fifth place-"

The squad began slapping the table with their hands to simulate a drumroll, and Levi merely clicked his tongue and allowed Eld to continue, because he had already learned the hard way that causing a fuss would only make the miserable event prolong all the more and it was just better to suffer in silence.

"Oluo Bozado with a shocking, embarrassing, and belittling_ twelve_ whopping points! Remember Oluo, the goal is to _not_ be kissed. I understand you're lonely, but this is just sad! Try to show some dignity, my man!"

Oluo gave an accepting wave and chuckled, having been caught a large number of times in trying to set traps for his peers, and had subsequently been ganged up on more than once by the rest of the squad. As the laughter and comments died down, Eld continued with a grand, fake laugh and walked around the table to build the suspense, "In fourth place, with a score of nine points – a handsome man if I've ever met one, your very own announcer and proprietor, the man who made it all possible, _you're looking right at him_, Eld Ginn!"

At his own announcement, Eld gave a bow and the squad laughed at his charismatic display, clapping all the more as he merely shrugged at the change of rank because at the last update, he had in fact been ranked higher.

"Nine points now? That's two more than what it was after dinnertime last night, did I miss something?" Petra whispered to her side, toward Gunther, and the man smirked, "I worked something out with Oluo and tricked him into the kitchen by telling him we were ganging up on Oluo again. I got him once, then Oluo did like three minutes later. Classic bait and switch; worked like a charm."

"Nice."

"And in third place, with a respectable eight points and moving up in the ranks from just yesterday, she is indisputably the prettiest girl on the _whole_ squad-"

Petra rolled her eyes, but joined the squad in drumming on the table regardless, and Eld pointed toward her proudly, "Petra Ral, everyone! Give her a hand! Once a rookie but now a true contender! Will this up and comer rise to the occasion, or will she fizzle out to bitter defeat? Only time will tell!"

Petra beamed as though shocked by her higher placement and gave a tearful, fake sob as she stood up from the ground slowly, "Thank you, thank you so much. To my fans, who have supported me, to my peers, who have believed in me-"

Eld chuckled and with a heavy pat on her shoulder, forced her to sit down, "_Please_, take a seat Ms. Ral. There's no way you can top your thrilling speech from yesterday - what an unexpected ten minutes _that_ was for our audience – and I'm quite certain that if you go off like that again, the producer is going to have the program cancelled!"

At that comment, Levi was quite certain he was being addressed indirectly, and he gave a nod because there was _no way_ he was sitting through another one of Petra's acceptance speeches. At first, he had found her impromptu speech admittedly amusing, watching Petra stand up and begin making some dramatic promises about her game plan and all she had done, things she was proud of, things she wasn't, people that had gotten her this far, and things she vowed to do when she won the 'Mistletoe Games'. He couldn't help but watch her with a challenging stare, somewhat egging her on because there was no way she could keep something like that up, and she had more than accepted his challenge because she had gone for a straight _ten minutes_ without missing a beat.

He wasn't sure _what_ either of them had been trying to prove, but either way, he admittedly stood corrected.

At Petra's easy retreat, Eld continued, "And now we move to second place, with a scarce, enviable three measly points – proof that not showering every day does indeed pay off – our very own Gunther Schultz!"

Gunther gave a laugh at Eld's insult and also waved with a smirk, nodding toward an invisible audience and mouthing a 'Hey mom!' and eventually Eld cleared his throat, a serious expression coming across his face.

"And now…the moment we've all been waiting for! At the top of the list, our very own Captain, the man of the hour, the undisputed Humanity's Strongest and our Mistletoe Games reigning Champion, you guessed it - Levi Ackerman! It's time to review his current score, which is – drumroll please!" again the team was slapping the table dramatically, and Eld waved toward Levi with a grand wave of his arm, "An inspirational, heart moving, tear jerking _zero_ points! That's right team, the man has yet to be spotted even a _single_ time under the mistletoe. Is it fate? Magic? A Christmas miracle? Tell us Captain, what's your secret?"

"Oi, piss off." Levi grumbled with an irritated scowl, and Eld merely gave an even larger smile and turned back toward his peers dramatically as they clapped and cheered, having received a similar response from the man just yesterday, "Well you heard it here first ladies and gents! Those trade secrets are known only to the Captain himself, but as they say it's not over till it's over! Today is Christmas Eve, and this marks your last chance to score some final points against the competition. It's time to get serious and really make it count people! Get creative, pucker up, and as always…"

The squad all spoke in happy unison, "See you under the mistletoe!"

At Eld's concluded speech and the tapering laughter of his squad, Levi cleared his throat sternly, "You all done now? Can I go over the training plans, or is there some other recap that needs to happen? No guest speakers today? I presume there's no guest sponsor _this_ time around?"

Eld shrugged casually, enjoying the Captain's irritation as he made mention of Hanji and Erwin's previous appearances, and eventually took his seat at the table with a smirk, "Nah man, you're good. Do your thing Captain; I'll allow it."

Again Levi grumbled lowly under his breath, and with a shake of his head, reviewed their material and responsibilities for the day, trying to put the matter aside and focus on their military duties.

Fuck...

It was just one more day. Less than twenty-four hours.

He just had to endure it a little longer.

...

* * *

...

Levi had been in his room, attempting to relax and clear his mind of what had been yet another loud and boisterous day.

After training had come to an end, the squad had spent the entire evening running amok in the hallways, squealing and laughing like school children as they tried to get in their last-ditch effort points before the final results were scheduled to be delivered tomorrow morning.

Levi had quickly learned that the common areas were all out _war zones_ now, and within an hour of being off duty, he had found himself intentionally staying inside his room because there was no way he would be able to be amongst his squad while they were acting so foolishly. While they had all previously _attempted_ to be mindful if he were around and try to sober their behavior to something a little more becoming, now that they were down to the wire, no one seemed to care if he were there at all and continued undaunted.

He supposed that there was some part of him that _was_ happy they were having fun; he certainly didn't wish misery on them by any means, but he couldn't help but wish that their version of having fun were perhaps a bit more…quiet and subdued. Perhaps over a board game. Cards or chess. Something not so…_stupid_. Or loud.

Thankfully, the last few hours had been admittedly quiet, and pleasantly so.

Granted that _probably_ meant that two or more of them were off plotting something against the others, aiming to make a 'game changing move' but even if it were a mere calm before the storm, Levi would take whatever peace he could get, and for however _long_ he could get it, because it had been a solid three days of their tomfoolery and _any_ break from the commotion was welcome.

As he sat in his room, presently reading a book and enjoying the much-needed silence, a sudden knock broke his concentration and he looked toward the door in question.

"Captain, it's Petra. Are…are you in there?"

At the cautious way she spoke, it was obvious that she legitimately wasn't sure if he were present or not, and with the almost tremble in her soft voice, Levi was certain at once that something wasn't right.

He gently closed his book and set it aside, "Yeah, I'm here. Just a sec."

He moved toward the door and opened it just slightly, unable to stop the impulse to look around the hall to see if his other subordinates were present or what they might be up to, suspicious that their actions were undoubtedly related to why Petra was knocking on his door like this.

At being greeted by an empty hallway that was relatively devoid of life, his eyes fell onto hers in question, and he watched her flatly, "What is it."

At his question that came out as more of a demand, the girl gave a timid nod and looked into the ground, "I uh, well…" she gave a defeated sigh and looked up at him with large, sad eyes, "Captain I know you said the game was a bad idea and that you don't want any part in it but I…" again she shook her head and she looked out toward the direction of the main lobby, giving a slow shake of her head as though uncertain of where to even begin, "I get that we've been pulling pranks and playing dirty and such but with this…this time they went too far, Captain."

His eyes narrowed at her words, not certain what she was getting at but fearing the worst as she brought an arm over herself almost subconsciously, refusing to meet his gaze as a silence fell between them. He felt a sort of anger wash over him as she remained mournfully quiet, and Levi shook his head at the weight of her unspoken words, "Petra, what happened? Did someone, what, kiss you without permission? For _real_, kiss you or whatever? Was it Oluo?"

Petra shook her head, "What? No. No, nothing like that Captain. I'm not sure if it's better or worse than that per say. I just…well, I had kitchen duty tonight and so I've been out of the Compound for a while but when I came back well…my bed was moved."

Levi blinked.

"…Your bed?"

She nodded.

"Your _whole_ fucking bed, frame and all? Everything?"

Petra bit her lower lip and nodded again miserably.

"And all things considered, it's presently located under the mistletoe, I presume?"

For the third time she merely nodded sheepishly, and Levi groaned and rubbed his fingers into his temples with a low growl, "You've _got_ to be fucking _kidding_ me. Is that why it's been so damn quiet this whole time? They were disassembling and reassembling your bed out in the lobby, piece by fucking piece?"

He looked up toward her and shot her a sudden glare, "See, this is _exactly_ why I told you all it was a bad idea. You're all insanely, childishly competitive and have no concept of the words 'too far.' It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain that messing around with military property is grounds for disciplinary action, but you all seem to think that the rules are above you just because it's the damned holiday season!"

Petra was clearly intimidated by his obvious fury and she looked into the floor with a remorseful mumble, "I'm sorry Captain. I know it's not your problem, and I know you said that any squabbles like this were to be resolved on our own. I looked for the guys earlier, but they already hightailed off. I'm guessing they'll try to gang up on me later because they know I'll have to get started on it eventually, but I can't really _wait_ for them to show up and help me put it all back together because who knows when that might be. It'll take me all night to take it apart and-"

She gave an apologetic sigh and collected her thoughts with a wave of her hand, "Look, I didn't come here to ask for your help. I know you aren't that thrilled about it and I guess in some way it serves me right. I just…you know, if you see me in the halls past curfew, that's why. I'll try not to bother you too much. I uh, sorry for any trouble I guess. I'll go. Merry Christmas, Captain."

She turned over her shoulder timidly, and Levi felt perhaps the beginnings of guilt churning in his stomach, because his frustration was toward the squad as a whole, not Petra individually, and after hearing of the squad's most recent stunt and seeing the effect it had on her, perhaps he came down a bit too strong on his tenderhearted subordinate that was by all accounts, a victim of his men's thoughtless actions.

He gave a low sigh.

"Hold on Petra. Let me go ahead and help you; irritating or not, it's not exactly a one-person job and there's no reason you should be forced to reassemble your bed on your own like this."

Petra turned back toward him slowly and gave him a suspicious, surprised stare. For a long moment she said nothing, and she eventually turned toward him more fully in defeat, "Are you…sure, Captain? I know we've been…irritating."

He merely nodded in confirmation and closed his bedroom door behind himself as he joined her out in the hallway, "It's fine. I won't say it's no trouble, because it's _a lot_ of trouble in fact. You _owe_ me, but we'll figure out how to settle to score later. For now, let's just focus on getting your room put back together because I can't imagine that you'll want to sleep out in the main lobby like this."

They made their way into the lobby, and sure enough, her bed had been indeed taken out of her room, piece by piece, and put back together in the lobby, wedged up into the doorframe of the kitchen and making a rather tight fit between the two rooms to where the small doorway was almost impassable. Worse still, it seems the men had even gone as far as to make the bed, complete with one of her teddy bears placed over the pillows.

Levi frowned at the jolly stuffed animal and his eyes narrowed at the display, "Okay. Was that really necessary? _Really?_ What does that even have to do with your game? Those petty fucks."

Petra couldn't help the laugh that left her throat, and she could only shrug, "Guess they aren't the type to do anything halfway."

Levi groaned, "Guess not. Here, you go ahead and take off the bedding. Fold that up, and I'll get to work on the frame."

As she began pulling the blankets and sheets off the mattress, Petra nodded toward the kitchen dutifully, "There's actually a screwdriver on the counter, Captain. The guys left it out, that and note saying, 'Dear Petra, happy screwing. See you under the mistletoe, signed Squad Levi."

Levi grabbed the screwdriver and shook his head at the _still_ present note, a scowl on his face as he responded flatly, "Cute."

Petra gave a long-suffering sigh of her own and looked toward her Captain with a hesitant sort of suspicion, "When they say the rest of Squad Levi, is it still safe to assume that _you_ had no part in this, Captain?"

"Correct."

She gave a relived nod at his confirmation and continued her task in silence, and once the mattress was free of bedding, Petra grabbed the mattress and set it to the side of the room so they could get to work on the more difficult of the two tasks.

As Levi started working on the frame, Petra made a few trips back and forth to her room, taking the bedding and her many pillows, and eventually she had run out of things to carry and found herself sitting down by Levi, assisting him by holding the frame in place as he worked to loosen the stubborn bolts.

"Captain, if I may, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, but I may not answer."

She couldn't help but smile at his response, and she stole a single glance towards him, watching his focused expression with interest, then dropping her gaze back towards her bedframe and asking in a quiet voice, "This whole mistletoe game, do you have bad memories of it or something as a kid? Granted, it's not something that_ I_ played as a kid, to each their own with traditions and such, but I can understand if-"

Levi's eyebrows furrowed, though she wasn't sure if it was from what she had said, or if it was from the difficulty of the task. The screw he was presently working on was somewhat stripped, and Levi was having a difficult time attempting to finesse it out without damaging the small metal device further. With a strained voice, he shook his head and cut her off, "You still misunderstand. It's not a _game_, Petra."

With a muted grunt of effort, Levi managed to loosen the screw enough to finally pull it out, and he glared at the warped piece of metal before setting it behind him with a sigh, "Yeah, I'll say that one is pretty well finished. We'll have to get a new one from the supply closet. I'll go ahead and take care of that after we've moved all the pieces back to your room; not a big deal."

Petra nodded, and the pair moved toward the next corner of the bedframe, working together to complete the task at hand. Petra would hold the frame steady, and Levi would work on loosening the screws bit by bit. After a few moments of focus and preparation, Levi began speaking again, "Like I said a few days ago, mistletoe is a tradition where two people kiss if they're both caught underneath it. Granted, you all made it into a game and have spun it into a version all its own, but essentially…"

Levi continued evenly and gave her a single serious stare, for only a passing moment, before looking back to the bedframe and continuing to work on the next bolt, "Petra, it's a _romantic _tradition. Usually the people 'caught' under the mistletoe, it's not by chance, and it's certainly not a _bad_ thing where you 'lose' if you're kissed by someone else. Frankly, that's the entire _point_ of mistletoe – to _be_ kissed by that special someone. It's a way for people that find it difficult to be together, maybe to some extent, I suppose it gives them a valid excuse to finally kiss, because of the mistletoe. I don't know. It's just a _holiday_ thing."

There was a long pause that followed his explanation, and Petra gave a questioning, uncertain exhale, her amber orbs falling onto his stormy blue ones, and she spoke in sudden concentration, "So let's say I had a crush on _Eld_ or whatever. I could go stand under the mistletoe and just…_hope_ he comes and kisses me?"

Levi shrugged passively and pulled out the next bolt with a nod, "Honestly, yeah. That's about the extent of it. And unlike your guys' creepy little game, just standing under the mistletoe doesn't actually give anyone the _right_ to kiss you. So in that case, say myself or Oluo or someone else came that you _weren't_ interested in, you would just tell them that you were waiting for someone else."

Petra nodded, "And then hope that the_ right_ person comes, and eventually kisses me."

Levi sat up and looked toward her in question, noticing the strange repetition of her words, and he gave a slow nod, "Well…yeah."

Under the suddenly intense gaze of her Captain, Petra gave a sort of breathless nod, only now seeming to realizing how_ close_ she was sitting to Levi as they worked on the sudden project together, and she gave a flustered nod as a faint blush came to her cheeks. She cleared her throat and nervously pushed her bangs aside, "Well that's good to know, I guess. Uh, thanks for setting me straight Captain. And for this. You know, helping me get this all moved around. I appreciate it. I would have taken me hours to do myself, and with any luck, maybe we'll have it all wrapped up before the guys get back. Wouldn't that be a stroke of good luck."

Sensing her sudden nervousness and her need to be doing _something_, the Captain merely nodded and looked back toward the bedframe and focused his attention to the next bolt, "Yeah, I suppose it would be."

...

* * *

End Of Chapter

* * *

...

Alright, and that will do for part one of this two part holiday piece! See, I told you it was just cute and festive! Anyone who's familiar with my work knows that I am a huge fan of the original Squad Levi's dynamic, and so it was fun getting to take a traditional holiday tradition and put a competitive, Squad Levi style spin on it. Only Squad Levi could turn such a simple thing into a competition to the death, and the fact they have Eld giving updates three times a day, the fact they roped in Erwin and Hanji as a guest speaker and official sponsor - gosh it kills me every time. I am not going to, but I feel like I could write twenty some chapters of the squad's shenanigan's playing this game alone.

At the very least, can we all take a knee for Oluo's admittedly smooth attempt at the very start of the story? Poor Oluo just can't catch a break with Levi around, although I'm pretty sure that Petra would have slugged him good had he actually kissed her, so maybe it's for the best that Levi stepped in when he did. Who knows.

As a reminder, I'll go ahead and post the last half come the morning of New Year's Day, and that will go ahead and mark this story as complete! So until then, yall have an awesome weekend, enjoy the last few days of the year, and I'll see you on the first!

~Midnight


	2. Chapter 2

Oh lawd have mercy. Yall, it is one in the bloody morning as I finish my final edits on this, and let me just say that I am insanely tired. I detest staying up late, but as society dictates, I have stayed up till the buttcrack of dawn to greet the year - with my middle fingers up - because this gal needs sleep and I'm exhausted. All that to say, happy happy new year to everyone, and my bitter sarcasm aside, I hope yall had fun, SAFE festivities and were able to bid a final and fond farewell to 2019.

Hope yall enjoy the 2nd half, and even if it was a short little journey (see, I really can finish a story yall! Let it be known!) I had some fun and some laughs along the way!

...

* * *

...

It took a bit of time and a few more stripped bolts, but they were making steady progress. Levi was certain that whoever had put the bed back together had no idea what they were doing, because there was no way that so many bolts were stripped like this by mere coincidence, and he had mumbled more than one string of profanities in his attempts to remove each of the metal components because - according to Levi - they were all shot to fucking hell and this was _peasant's_ work.

Regardless the even further soured mood of a certain Ackerman, the bedframe _was_ successfully dismantled, and the pair had started the arduous process of carrying the components back to her bedroom piece by piece, laying them across her bedroom floor in preparation to be reassembled. While they had shared light bits of conversation as they worked, the atmosphere between them had notably shifted ever since he had explained to her the _proper_ traditions behind the mistletoe. It wasn't entirely awkward per say, but Petra was seemingly both embarrassed and intrigued by the notion, to some extent lost in her own thoughts as she mentally came to terms with the vast differences between the game they had created, versus the actual way mistletoe was usually celebrated.

Knowing what she did now, she supposed it was no wonder that Levi had been so opposed to the idea at first.

Eventually, they were down to the last piece of her bedframe that needed to be moved, the headboard, but due to its size and placement, it was proving to be a difficult task in and of itself. Presently, Levi was trying to move the tight-fitting item out of the kitchen doorway, and due to the _intentionally _difficult placement of the object, Levi found he was sandwiched rather uncomfortably between the heavy wooden furniture, and the frame of the doorway.

Not so far off stood Petra, and they were collectively rocking the large item inch by inch in attempts to free it from the tight-fitting space, as it was still at a rather awkward angle that was proving difficult to loosen.

"Have any more wiggle room on your end?" Levi asked as he looked over the edge of the headboard, feeling the item press uncomfortably against his chest and limiting his mobility to a considerable extent as the item's closeness backed him further into the doorway, "It's getting a little hard to move over here."

Petra looked at him in concern and pulled the frame closer toward herself, pushing it to one side just slightly in attempts to make even the smallest amount of progress in freeing the large headboard from the narrowed space, "That's about all the space I've got over here. Did that help at all?"

"A little. Maybe if we tried-" Levi's words were cut off, because all at once, the rest of the squad had swarmed in from the back of the room, all but running toward them both at a breakneck speed, each giving an entirely _unnecessary_ battle cry as they tore across the room with purpose.

Levi had looked toward Petra in sudden alarm, preparing to speak on her behalf and confirm that they weren't going to so much as _touch_ her, because they owed the _both_ of them a hefty apology after all but ruining her bedframe, and for something so stupid as their idiotic 'Mistletoe Games' – but as the squad approached and their gazes fell not onto Petra, but rather_ him_ specifically - when Petra gave an apologetic smile and mumbled a 'Sorry, Captain!' before pushing the headboard right back against him and all but crushing him against the kitchen's doorframe…

Levi realized all too late that he had been had.

With the giant headboard locking him in place, making it so he had very little room, _if any_, to escape as his squad quickly approached him in a still mad dash, Levi took a preparational breath and had attempted at once to outright bolt, making a sort of lunge to one side, but his squad was clearly in collusion and already prepared for such a response. In a moment, Levi was surrounded by his subordinates on all sides, sandwiched between the headboard, the doorframe, and his childish, immature, meddling _asshole_ subordinates who were each grinning ear to ear and already leaning in triumphantly, because they all knew that a certain Captain wasn't going anywhere, and he happened to be not so coincidentally, trapped right underneath the mistletoe.

"Oh fuck_ all_ of-" Levi had stated with overt, hateful malice, but his words quickly died on his tongue as he watched Oluo and Gunther lean in from one side, then Eld and Petra from the other. With an irritated growl, Levi couldn't help but clamp his eyes shut and flinch away from the incoming contact, and after a split second, he distinctly felt the unmistakable sensation of lips pressing against his face, and he couldn't help the involuntary shudder that ran down his spine because he knew most of those lips belonged to grown ass men, and he had no interest in being the recipient of any of_ their_ affection.

It was as he flinched away from the contact, as he threw his head to one side in attempts to escape and pray that they got his hair or something instead because Maria only knew how many germs his squad was carrying between them, that a certain pair of lips _didn't_ press against his cheek, or his forehead, or hairline – no.

Someone was kissing him on the lips.

Levi had opened his eyes in a sort of appalled fury, wordlessly demanding to know who the fuck was so stupid that they either had missed, or were doing it sheerly to be 'funny' - some part of him couldn't help but internally suspect that Eld was the mastermind behind_ this_ little stunt. When he looked ahead and found not smug and taunting grey eyes, but rather obviously surprised, _golden_ orbs watching him in equal horror, Levi was certain that his heart had skipped a beat. Maybe two.

The lips against his own were _Petra's_.

Mistake or not, Petra was…._he_ was…kissing her.

The squad, completely unaware of the mishap, had since backed up and were already laughing loudly at their completed heist that had taken the entire_ day_ to successfully pull off. It had taken hours of planning and subsequent work to lure the elusive Captain out of his room and trap him so completely like this, and as they collectively looked toward Levi for what would be an undoubtedly amusing reaction, their previous laughter died when they each took notice of exactly what had, no, what was _presently _occurring between the Captain and a certain female squad mate.

For an additional, eternal moment, it seemed no one knew what to do and the room went completely still as they merely stared at each other, dumbfounded in continued amazement and shock, and finally, Petra pulled back with a gasp.

She was blushing, her entire face starting to turn a deep crimson as she took a few instantaneous and large steps away from him, and she brought a hand to her lips, speaking in a soft whisper as she looked to the ground in sheer embarrassment in a perpetual, still ongoing retreat, "Oh Maria. I…Captain I'm…wow, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, it was just you moved so suddenly and I-" she paused midsentence and found herself speaking hurriedly in defense, "But I brushed my teeth today, I swear! I mean, I always do, but even still I'm just…Captain, I'm so sorry! I'll just uh…leave now. I'm sorry."

At that, Petra gave a humiliated bow and scampered out of the room completely, a heavy silence falling over the group as they watched her retreat.

Levi seemed to catch his breath and watched her leave with still wide eyes, not sure if he was angry, or surprised, or some other mix of emotions, but before he could even try to sort out his thoughts - Eld gave a renewed chuckle and took a few steps back, pulling the headboard off from Levi and turning toward Gunther with a pleased smile, "Well that little mishap aside, I believe that's _four_ points for the Captain, and if memory serves, that puts you in first place. Gotta say, I wasn't really sure if Petra could actually get him out here or not, but it seems like it worked out well enough for…well, pretty much _everyone_ in the end - wouldn't you say, Captain?"

There was a certain smugness to Eld's words, a backhanded sort of word play as he side glanced the Captain with a knowing grin, and Levi moved his attention over toward the blonde with a dark snap of his head.

At how easily the squad had moved on, how they so passively disregarded the fact that their little stunt had put himself and Petra – his _direct _subordinate – in such an obviously uncomfortable position, Levi pressed his still warm lips together with an irritated huff and shook his head darkly as he finally wedged his way out from behind the headboard.

He returned the blonde's stare and glowered, "Fuck you, Eld. Now listen up, you imbecilic assholes_. _Stop your damned celebrating long enough to realize that _none_ of this was okay. Petra's gone, I'm pissed as hell, you wasted an entire day plotting how you could kiss me by force, _you_ _creepy little shits_, and furthermore," Levi took a breath and pointed down to a small pile of destroyed bolts in sheer indignance, "Let's not forget that one of you stripped_ five _of the eight fucking bolts that keeps her bed together. Learn how to use a fucking screwdriver, you damned halfwits!"

Levi ran his hands through his hair in frustration, fixing his previously disheveled locks as he continued, "You all put her bed back together, the way it was, and don't forget her stupid stuffed animal either. After that, go the fuck to bed, because I'm _done_ with your shit and if I so much as hear even one more person talk about the damned mistletoe, I'm going to set it on fire, and then the rest of you along with it._ Dismissed._"

At that, Levi stormed toward the hallway in prolonged, stubborn and lingering agitation, endlessly irritated that his squad had gone so far_ just _to force him in on their stupid miserable game. What was more, their thoughtlessness had caused a considerable mess for him to have to address on the backend because Petra was notably shaken, and as her Captain, even if it wasn't his fault, even if he had been the target of their schemes and thereby considerably inconvenienced much more than she – even still…

He'd have to address it with her sooner or later.

As he walked down the hall, assuming she had retreated toward her room and beginning his search there, Levi found himself almost subconsciously raising his hand up to his lips as he allowed his mind to replay the way her lips had felt when pressed so lightly against his.

It was perhaps, surprising, to some extent. Due to the shock of so much happening at once, Levi found he couldn't really remember his _men's_ disgusting lips pressing against his skin. He logically knew it had_ happened_; he was pretty sure one had gotten his jaw, another his cheek, and one almost nearing his eye as he had thrashed about it attempts to thwart them away, but even still, he couldn't really say what it had felt like because the details were already lost to him in the shuffle.

Petra's though – looking back now, Levi wasn't sure how he had thought for even a moment that the lips had belonged to anyone _except_ her. The hesitance, the undeniably _feminine_ shape of her lips and her sweet breath – _of course_ it had been Petra. When her full lips had pressed so delicately against his, a mischievous smile still painting her lips that he could remember feeling against the side of his face, Levi could remember feeling her once confident smile change, feel the press of her lips as she intentionally kissed him, but then the sudden way she had frozen outright when she came to the immediate realization that with his sudden change of direction, she was suddenly kissing_ lips_, rather than his _cheek _as she had originally intended.

What was more, she had been so surprised that she didn't have the immediate awareness to pull away and merely sat there, her lips entwined with his just the same as her golden orbs stared into his in obvious shock.

At the very least, Levi knew full well that those details, well, the memory of Petra's lips against his own, her amber eyes and the blush on her cheeks – _that _he would remember for_ quite _some time.

...

* * *

...

"I was wondering if I'd find you here or not. Gotta say, you're certainly up early this morning."

At the sudden voice, Petra jolted in surprise, visibly flinching as she turned around from where she was standing up on the chair, arms hoisted above her and she paused midmotion at the familiar tone. She slowly dropped her arms to her sides and turned around carefully, nervously biting her lip and looking across the room in attempts to avoid making eye contact with him.

"Morning, Captain. I uh, yeah, thought it may be for the best if I came out here before everyone else and took it all down. It's Christmas morning, the squad had its fun, and considering that things got a little carried away last night…" Levi quirked an eyebrow as he watched her, an expression that was lost on her, and Petra gave a weak shrug, "I thought this would be a good time to bring it to an end, you know, before it all started up again."

"I see."

Levi walked into the room further, and Petra cleared her throat anxiously, moving down from her chair in sudden determination and she took a few intentional steps toward him, then all at once seemed to lose her nerve and merely gave a sigh. She shook her head, amused to some extent by her palpable nervousness and she found herself stealing a glance toward her Captain, who watched her timid fumbling with an undeniable smirk of his own.

Apparently she hadn't gotten over the events from last night, and Levi couldn't deny his amusement because some part of him felt rather validated in watching her squirm.

"Captain, I just…for real," she took a deep breath of preparation and forced herself to look at him directly, her expression undeniably serious, "I'm really sorry. It wasn't my intention last night, and I can honestly say that the whole thing was a_ true_ accident, but none the less, the fact remains that I took something from you that wasn't mine to take, and I'm sorry. You know, if it made you feel uncomfortable or angry with me and the squad, or even just me personally - it was wrong and I'm sorry to have put you in such a position."

Levi listened to her explanation, careful to keep his expression blank regardless his surprise, and he gave an even nod, "Well, you _did_ trick me into coming out into the lobby, just to sell me out in the end. Truthfully, I was a little suspicious at first, but then we started to disassemble the bed and you still didn't do anything that hinted at foul play, so I figured you were being sincere. See if I ever trust _you_ again."

Petra couldn't help the smirk that was pulling at her lips at his teasing words, and she gave an accepting nod, "Well it takes a lot of coaxing for you to let your guard down Captain. It wasn't easy mind you, but at its core, the idea _was_ kind of genius. I played the sad victim, the damsel in distress if you will and-"

Levi somewhat snorted at her words and cut her off sarcastically, "You? A damsel? Right. And what, was I supposed to be your knight in shining armor, come to rescue you?"

She looked him up and down critically, then gave a shrug, "you're more of the _rogue_ type of character, Captain. And laugh all you want, but you _did _come to help me out." She paused, giving him a pleased smile and continuing almost smugly, "It seems chivalry_ isn't_ dead after all."

Again Levi rolled his eyes, "Well I wouldn't bank on that holding out for you, because I happen to know you can kick ass just fine on your own. Frankly, I was just more pissed that the guys could possibly be so stupid because it's a daunting task for anyone, female or otherwise. They _did_ get your bed put back together last night, right?"

The ginger gave a quick nod of confirmation, "Oh yeah, they did, no worries."

Levi gave a pleased nod, and as a silence fell between them, again Petra sighed remorsefully and looked at him evenly, "Levi…I really _am_ sorry. I feel terrible."

At that, what seemed to be hertwelfthapology in the last five minutes, Levi found himself smirking again, "Well apparently. Hell, you even used my _name_ that time. Everyone knows that_ does_ make it more sincere."

At his comment, Petra's eyes widened and she blushed slightly, "Oh, sorry Captain, I-"

He held up a hand and waved passively, because that wasn't the point and some part of him could care less if his squad called him by name or not. "It's fine. You know in truth; you seem to be_ a lot _more shaken up about it than I am. You almost have me wondering if _I_ should be apologizing to _you_, although I wouldn't hold your breath for that either, because it really_ was_ your fault and I hold you responsible for the whole thing."

She hung her head miserably and nodded, "I know. I'm sorry."

He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or sigh at her continued misery, and he found himself watching her almost curiously because last night she had been so distressed that she had run off before he could so much as get a word in edge wise. Granted, he wasn't sure what he_ would_ have said, but it hadn't mattered because she was already gone. He had searched for her for a good fifteen or so minutes, but after finding no trace of her, he knew full well it was simply because she didn't _want _to be found, so he had given up because there wasn't a point.

As for this morning, he wasn't sure if she would actually be present come the time that he got up for the morning, but he had a sneaking suspicion that her guilt would lead her right back to the mistletoe, because she would want to do something about it before the squad started moving for the day. That was just how she was; her own way of trying to make it right and he supposed in that manner, she was a bit predictable.

Levi took another step toward her, placing a hand on her shoulder and trying to meet her gaze, because the longer she seemed to think about it, the more introverted and recoiled she became and he didn't want such a simple thing to come between them because he supposed to some extent, their kiss, well…he certainly hadn't _hated_ it.

"Petra." He whispered her name softly, and slowly the girl raised her golden orbs to meet his. He took a breath and made a point of speaking gently, with conviction, "It was an accident. I know that, and I'm not mad. It's not a big deal."

At his words of confirmation, a strange expression came to her face, her eyes widening as she seemed to slowly process what he had said, and Levi found himself repeating his words, this time in_ question _because something in her expression, something about her hesitance and agitation, he wasn't sure but something about it was just…_off._

"Petra….it's _not_ a big deal, right?"

"Uh, right. Of course Captain." She responded quickly with a series of nods, agreeing with him a little_ too _quickly to be casual, and she pulled out of his grasp and moved back toward the chair as she spoke nervously, "It wasn't a big deal. Just an accident. So we kissed; it's fine. Things happen, I mean, it meant nothing – so it's fine, perfectly fine. I mean, if it's fine with you and it's fine with me, then that means things are just as fine as they've ever been." At her sudden broken words that reflected her clearly flustered, _not_ fine state, Petra had grabbed the back of the chair, fixing to move back up and return to her task of removing the mistletoe.

As she shifted her weight to climb up the chair, Levi watched her with a narrowed, unconvinced and analyzing stare, and he crossed his arms in thought because as he watched her, as he replayed the moment in his mind, recalled her sheer alarm and embarrassment as though she had no clue what to do last night – like she had never been in such a position before – Levi found his chest tightened with a sudden anxiousness and concern and…suspicion.

"Petra, that wasn't…last night I mean," Levi found himself asking carefully, hesitantly, and he had to forcefully clear his throat because he almost wasn't certain _how_ to ask such a thing tactfully, "That wasn't your_ first _kiss by any chance…was it?"

When his subordinate paused in step, negating to actually move up on the chair and rather stalling as though frozen in place, Levi found his mouth all but hanging open, and he couldn't help the groan that left his throat, "Fuck. Your first…you _seriously_ mean to tell me that_ that _was – shit, I didn't even-"

He rubbed his temples in utter disbelief, finding that he was only able to ask the first question that came to mind because it just didn't make _sense_ to him, "Petra, you _shitting_ me right now? You mean to tell me that last night, that was-" the words died on his tongue and a frustrated growl tore from his throat as he stared at her incredulously, "Fuck…how _old_ are you?"

There was a small sound of amusement, an empty, pained sort of laugh, and Petra eventually responded in an embarrassed whisper, "I'm twenty, Captain."

"Twenty years?" he responded, easily_ tripling_ her previous volume in sheer outrage, "How does a girl like _you_ go for twenty years _without _being kissed? Don't tell me no one has tried before. Petra, all do respect but you're a _stunning_ woman. Are you being serious right now, or you just yanking my chain again? Twenty years, _fuck!_"

She turned over her shoulder then, turning back around and watching him timidly, blushing at his words because his praise wasn't exactly subtle, and she couldn't deny that her pulse and heartbeat had suddenly quickened with a spark of electricity. She gave a subtle shrug and tried to pick her words carefully, "It wasn't like I was holding out for anyone specific or anything. I just…sure I've had a few guys here and there that were interested in me, I guess, but the timing was always wrong, or I wasn't interested in return, and the years just kept going and then I got on your squad and I met you and the guys and…"

She blushed under the weight of the Captain's prolonged, increasingly_ intense_ stare, and eventually she gave a defeated shake of her head and shrugged in uncertainty, "I suppose…maybe there_ was _some part of me, holding out for the right guy. Who knows. But yesterday," At her words and the memory of all that Levi had said to her the night before, Petra groaned and found herself fiddling with the ends of her hair nervously, "It was all so wrong and it shouldn't have_ happened_ between us like that and-"

Levi couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at her words, because he supposed it could have been a mere slip of the tongue, but even still he had found her statement admittedly _intriguing_. It shouldn't have happened between them, _like that?_

"Tell me then, Petra. How _should_ it have happened?"

She gave a sudden laugh, still clearly lost in her thoughts and not actually _listening_ to what he was saying, nor the sudden purr to his voice as he watched her knowingly, "Well last night when you were talking about the mistletoe, the _real_ way people celebrate it and not the game we made up, you said it gives people the opportunity to be together; people that can't always be together for whatever reason. I guess, maybe some part of me thought that was pretty cool and like you said, it all just seemed pretty…romantic. I don't know, it just kind of seemed like you were hinting at something and in the moment I kinda figured that…"

As she spoke, Levi's expression had shifted, a pleased sort of contentment now over his face, and he began walking toward his subordinate purposefully. He watched her evenly and nodded his head as he spoke over her, "You figured that maybe, you'd be going about your day and I'd walk toward you with some strange expression where you'd get nervous and back up step for step, because you were so lost in your own thoughts you didn't realize what was happening?"

As he spoke and continued moving toward her all the more, when he began approaching her beyond what was necessary for the scope of their conversation, Petra's expression fell, and she was _indeed_ retreating away from him in a stupefied, unsorted manner; clearly taken off guard by his words and sudden resolve that spoke of unfulfilled intent.

"Well I-"

Levi was very close to her now and with a calm exhale, he grabbed the chair and set it aside, out of the way as he settled near her, very near to the same spot that he himself had been trapped in just the night before. He looked at her calmly and allowed the smallest of smirks to come to his face as he all but drank in her large amber eyes, her flushed cheeks, and her full lips that were parted in wordless surprise and wonder.

Twenty years.

A woman looking the way she did, confident and beautiful and determined; not having been kissed even a single time in twenty_ years_.

Even now, some part of him still just couldn't believe it.

He looked down at her, mere inches away from her face as he brought a hand to her chin, his touch feather light as he encouraged her to look up at him directly with a pull of his fingers, "Did you think I'd just stand in front of you like this, start saying some nonsense all while your mind raced with questions? That maybe I'd talk about how beautiful you were, or that maybe I _didn't_ hate the fact that you kissed me last night? Maybe I would tell you that I _liked _it, and that I wanted to kiss you again. Perhaps I'd even make some lame ass excuse, something like 'Did you know you're standing right underneath the mistletoe, Petra?' and maybe I'd play with your hair or caress your cheek for a moment." Levi paused and smirked testingly, his words warm and voice low as he looked at her directly, "Something like that, I suppose?"

Petra swallowed thickly, slightly recoiled against the wall, yet clearly hanging on his every word as she watched him with wide eyes, and Levi chuckled as he leaned in closer toward her, "I _did _say that the mistletoe gives people a way to finally be together. I hadn't been referring to anyone specific but now, well, a Captain and his own subordinate – I suppose it's fitting enough. And to some extent, it's only fair. You _did_ kiss me first after all; I'm just returning the favor – only this time, with a little bit more…_purpose_."

He leaned in further then, a mere _centimeter _away from her lips but intentionally just shy of touching. Even still, he could feel the breath leave her with a sigh and all but hear her very heartbeat. He wanted to kiss her, and fuck he would, but he could never force her. It was an invitation, an offer, and _damn _he was hoping that she took it because with that look on her face and her full lips, she herself was a tempting invitation in return, and that was _without _the use of any sugary, baiting words to lull him in.

Levi watched as Petra took an equally sharp inhale of surprise and anticipation, and she adjusted her neck ever so slightly, almost subconsciously, to angle herself toward him more completely. That small action had been enough, all he had needed to see, and with an exhale of sheer contentment, Levi allowed his eyes to come to a close.

Finally, he pressed his lips against hers.

He kissed her fully, softly and carefully, and unlike yesterday where their kiss had been unplanned at best, Levi had been rather intentional with his actions now, moving his lips against hers in a way that would be _worth_ remembering. He couldn't change what had happened last night, but this, if he was _going_ to be the man responsible for laying claim to her first kiss, like hell he was going to make sure that it was passionate and worthwhile; something that left her weak in the knees and completely breathless, because after twenty years, he reasoned that anything less just wouldn't be fair.

Although, perhaps that painted him in an unfair, altruistic sort of light – as though his first and only concern in the matter was Petra herself. The truth was, more than giving her a fond memory or an interesting story, he was kissing her in such a manner simply because, well, he wanted to. He had _wanted_ to kiss her, and he had for some time. Petra was devoted and clever, followed him and respected him in ways that made him trust her and let his guard down so easily, almost to a fault. When Eld had brought in that wretched plant, his heart had sank because it seemed to rub it in his face; made it painfully clear what he_ couldn't _have because Petra was his subordinate, he was her Captain, and yet…

Damn.

He_ still_ wanted it, just the same. This once, and if_ only_ this once, he would give into her because she had kissed him first, and even if it made him a complete asshole, he was willing to take whatever he could get from her in return.

He brought his hands up to her face, fingers twisting into her hair and his thumbs coming to rest under the backs of her ears as he adjusted his angle, deepening his kiss and breathing in short pants as their actions allowed it, because Petra had _accepted_ his kiss and it felt just shy of blissful. She was moving her lips against his in return, a thrilling action that had made his blood race, and he found at once that he had no intention of breaking his kiss until he was completely satisfied, or until she pushed him away.

Eventually, he pulled back ever so slightly, still fighting to catch his breath and he opened his eyes slowly, searching for her golden orbs; curious to see what her reaction would be.

"Well?" he found himself asking breathlessly when Petra slowly opened her eyes, his tone perhaps a little on the arrogant side because she had seemed to enjoy herself well enough, and when her amber eyes locked onto his, the girl gave an embarrassed smile.

"That was…good, Captain._ Quite _good in fact."

He couldn't help the pleased, lopsided grin that came to his face and the chuckle that left his lips, and she continued just as softly, "But…"

Levi blinked, "But?"

But _what?_

Petra chewed her lower lip in a nervous manner and looked to her side with a renewed blush, "It's just, well…I'm_ flattered _but I already told you that I kind of have a crush on _Eld _and…"

Hearing her words, Levi felt his blood run cold and he found it suddenly impossible to bring air into his lungs as he tried to process her words. Had he misunderstood? Perhaps he had only heard what he had wanted when she had been explaining her thoughts earlier and...

Levi gave a painfully dry, forced cough, "Eld? But I uh-" he shook his head in sheer disbelief because he had been _so_ certain and yet - "Petra, I thought you were speaking _metaphorically_. Eld is, he's _engaged_ so-"

There was a sudden mirthful laugh from his subordinate, and Petra looked up toward him with a warm smile and merely shook her head as her gaze fell back onto him, "Captain, I'm kidding. _Of course _it's you, I mean…who else could it ever be? Levi, you're very special to me."

Seeing her contentment, hearing her words and gentle tone, Levi watched her expression morph into a pleased smile mixed with only a _shadow_ of mischief, and he exhaled in relief, having to bite back a presently building groan because she had _legitimately_ had him doubting himself and making him think that he had kissed her errantly, "Gods woman, when are you going to stop being such a fucking brat? You scared the shit out of me."

Petra's smile brightened all the more, and with a roll of his eyes, Levi had leaned toward her again and pressed his lips right back against hers with a sudden ferocity and claim, because after enduring_ that_ heart attack, surely that constituted the right for another kiss, right?

He moved a hand across the side of her face, snaking his other arm around her back. As he pulled her against him ever so slightly, deepening his kiss and giving a pleased sort of exhale against her skin as she pressed her lips against him in return, a sudden chorus of sharp gasps caught his attention, and he felt Petra stiffen in his hold.

"Captain, what the…" there was a low mumble of obvious shock – Oluo's voice – from the opposite end of the room, and Levi pulled away from her at once, taking a considerable step back from his subordinate even though the damage was already done.

As the men came into the room, there was an eventual chuckle from Eld who was _already_ unfolding the related paper from his pockets with a knowing smile, "Well well, it looks like that's another point for Petra. I'll go ahead and adjust the score on that one. Nice work Captain; I didn't think you'd actually participate in our Mistletoe Games, but it seems when given the _proper _incentive…"

Levi merely scoffed and walked further into the room, not having intended on 'participating' in the Squad's games, but he supposed that if _that's_ what the men wanted to focus on – the fact that Petra received another point, and_ not_ the fact that he was clearly kissing her, on the lips, in a way that confirmed there was _nothing_ platonic about their actions – he wouldn't fuss or try to correct them.

Taking a seat at his usual spot at the table as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Levi crossed his arms with a bitter snort and glared at his men, "Well you didn't give me much of a choice, now did you? Or have you already forgotten the fact that you all had me slammed up against a wall and forced yourselves on me like a band of disgusting, drunken layabouts? I should be having you all run laps for _days_ because your disturbing little coup could be looked at as an attempt at mutiny. You're all fucking _gross_."

As the squad made further conversation with the miffed Captain, joking that surely he couldn't complain too much because that was probably more action than the man had seen in years, it was then that Petra had quietly made her way back to the table, still remaining suspiciously quiet and intentionally not adding to the conversation further. Regardless her obvious discomfort, or perhaps _because _of her obvious discomfort, the squad didn't seem to have too much interest in giving either of them trouble about being so blatantly caught red handed – as though they had already known it was only a matter of time until something like that eventually happened between the pair.

Without further lingering, Eld nodded and gave a grand smile, already in character as he waved his arms grandly, "And good morning Squad Levi! It's time to go over the final results of our first, annual, the greatly anticipated yet never outdone, Mistletoe Games!"

...

* * *

...

It was twenty minutes later that the squad had finished breakfast, and as the men of the squad each went their separate ways to complete their various tasks for the day, Levi found himself returning to Petra's side, pleased that the men hadn't seemed to be overly interested in lingering or pestering them further about their previous spectacle.

As Levi assisted the smaller woman in clearing off the table, gathering up the rest of the dirty dishes and moving them toward the sink for washing, Petra looked up toward him and smiled, "You know Captain, yesterday when Eld told me he had an idea that would undoubtedly knock you out of first place, I can't exactly say I believed him. Now though, after watching _Gunther_ walk away with the first-place trophy, I've got to admit it feels pretty good."

Levi merely rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah? And did it feel pretty good when you realized that the apparent 'trophy' was _your _teddy bear, half mutilated and tied to a brick?"

At his valid callout, the ginger couldn't help the laugh that left her, because she hadn't realized it last night when she went to bed, but her beloved stuffed animal _had _in fact gone missing, and after seeing it redecorated and roped down to a brick in some sad attempt at a holiday trophy, complete with the red velvet bow from their previously hanging mistletoe no less, Petra could only laugh and give her blessing because there was _no way_ she wanted it back now.

She gave a contented sigh and relaxed against the kitchen counter, watching the Captain as he gathered the last of the remaining dishes and put them in the sink, "Well it seems like the guys are already making plans for next year's Mistletoe Games – you know, ways to make it better, perhaps add in a few additional events to encourage the spirit of competition. You think you'll play next year?"

The Captain made a thoughtful expression and finally shrugged, "Well how can I _not?_ No thanks to your little stunt, I walked away in second place, and I'll have to correct my tarnished reputation because I have no intention of allowing word to spread that I was kissed by three men and a ginger midget."

Petra smirked at his response and she eventually looked toward him directly with a prominent smirk, "Oh, and all you're worried about is _your _tarnished reputation? Because of_ you_, I tied with Eld for third place!"

"Oh, because of _me?_ You know, if you all hadn't intervened and knocked me out of first place - just left me the fuck alone - you probably wouldn't have tied at all. You would have been in third, Eld in fourth, and then Oluo in fifth, same as yesterday. Blame yourself, because I wanted _no_ part in this, and now that I've been dragged into the fray, well…" he took a breath and watched Petra with a smirk as he walked across the kitchen, pausing right in front of her and crossing his arms as he looked her over with a sweep of his gaze, "Next year I suppose I'll have to _adjust _my strategy."

At his words, a sudden quirk to his eyebrow and a mischievous glint in his eye, Levi leaned toward her and ran a single finger down her jaw line, pleased as an obvious blush came to her face as she watched him in both surprise and anticipation. Regardless her blush, her expression also turned devilish and she cocked her head ever so slightly, "You know we won't make it easy for you, Captain. I for one intend to use every trick in the book, because next year, that trophy is _mine_."

"Oh is that so?" He was leaning in closer now, and Petra nodded as his lips brushed hers with a whisper of a caress, teasing and baiting her all the more because now that he had opened that door with her, he found no reason to force it closed so quickly. Still though, he _was_ her Captain, and he couldn't allow this sort of relationship to go perpetually unchecked. The mistletoe had been taken down granted, but he supposed it was still the holiday season after all, so he'd let things go on… just a little bit longer.

Although.

_Then_ there was New Year's to consider, and then Valentine's Day - of course her birthday would be right after that and he couldn't be so cruel as to end things with her then. Perhaps he'd allow things to slow down over the_ summer_, maybe become gradually more aloof over the fall – but then, fuck, it would just be the holiday season all over again. He supposed to that end, his hands were tied.

_Well damn._

As he watched her and toyed with her just the same, Levi was intrigued to note that Petra hadn't so easily given in this time around, and merely stood up on her toes and teased him right back as she pulled her hands around the back of his neck, running her nails into his hair languidly, "Uh-huh. Better watch yourself Levi; you don't even _know_ what I'm capable of."

He chuckled at her words, still baiting her with his touch as he continued to fall just shy of meeting her lips with his own, his lips tracing over the edge of her jaw as his nose brushed against her smooth skin, "Words, woman. I suppose you're just going to show me?"

Levi had meant to lean in then, to kiss her just the same and let whatever happen between them because it seemed pointless to fight it now, but as he attempted to lay claim to her full inviting lips, Petra moved away with a satisfied smirk, walking out of the kitchen entirely with a casual wave over her shoulder as he groaned in dismay at the loss of contact, "I will, Captain. _Next_ year. And you'll know right where to find me too, because as we_ always_ say…"

She paused in step, turned back toward him ever so slightly and watching him with a playful, radiant smile, "See you under the mistletoe, Captain."

...

* * *

The End

* * *

iii

*happy sigh* Alright, so that wraps up this year's little holiday piece.

Short, sweet, to the point, and had that spark and chemistry that just makes me smile. I stand beside my writing, but I will say I'm used to more a style where I develop character and prove it with actions, rather than just TELLING them how they behave, but then I suppose that all my writings would become sixty some chapters and that's just for the birds.

None the less guys, for real, I hope you enjoyed something a bit more light hearted. Happy New Year! Hope this day, year, and decade brings you an adventure all your own!

~Midnight


End file.
